Research Interests:

Teaching:

Chemical EcologyModern Pesticide Technologies and Methods in their Analysis

Research Activities & Interests:

My approach to elucidate precise, selective chemical methods of pest control is to focus on insects that feed on specialized plant organs as guides to discovery. Model insects studied have included adults of the pollen-feeding Diabroticite pests, pollen- and seed-feeding Carabidae beneficials, and pollen- and nectar feeding honey bees. The habitual consumption of pollen is primarily associated with amino acid taste neuroreceptors, that provide selective molecular targets for behavioral and insecticidal action. Seeds are rapidly becoming the delivery system for many materials including seed protectants (fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, elicitors), biological inoculants, and nutrients in addition to genetics. Most high-valued seeds, notably transgenic corn, soybeans and cotton, are now treated with systemic neonicotinoid insecticides plus multiple fungicides to assure excellent crop establishment where pests and diseases exist. Currently, the International Seed Federation assesses the commercial world seed market at $30 billion, with the US share being $5.7 billion (19%). The US is the top importer and exporter of seed. The increasing pervasiveness of treated seeds indicates that considerable impact to the environment, unaware seed handlers and bees may occur. Practical outcomes for this work include identifying selective pesticides that promote non-target species, and assisting in development of regulatory processes that assure safety of domestic and imported seeds and products from the hive. I am presently focused on study of the role of pesticides in honey bee Colony Collapse Disorder and overall pollinator decline. To achieve this, we develop analytical methods, particularly using LC-MS, to monitor and determine the fate of pest control chemicals and their formulation ingredients within bee ecosystems.